Improvement in combination-rules



C. H. HARDY.

Combination Billes.

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE. f

oYEUS H. HARDY, or HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.-

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION-RULES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,655, dated April 14,1874; application filed December 15, 1873.

To all whom fit may concern;-

Be it known that I, CYRUS H. HARDY, ot Hingham, in' the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Rules, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l of the accompanying drawing is a View of my improved rule half open. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of the tenons of the hinges of the rule. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are 'Y views showin g the rule in different positions, and its combination parts, extended for various purposes. Y

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rules, having for their object the production of a rule that, in combination with several devices connected therewith, serves for a variety of purposes, without interfering with the size or with th ordinary use of the rule; and to this end my invention consists of a rule constructed, arranged, and operated as I will now proceed to describe. j

In the drawings, A A' represent'the arms of a rule, having the tenon a of the central hinge B formed with one or more transverse aper- .tures, b, Fig. 2, and the shields c of the hinge B formed with a transverse aperture, b', to receivea stud or pin, d, projecting from the inner face, near one end, of one of the armS.A A' of the rule, so that when the arm provided with the stud or pin d is doubled, the

hinge B is firmly held by the pin d engaging with its apertures b b', andthe arms A A' sustained at a rightl or any other angle, according in which aperture of the tenon the pin d is set, to allow the rule to be used as a trysquare, Fig. 5, orvmiter-square, 7, or to set oi different angles. The central hinge B is formed with a flan ged screw-sleeve, or otherwise, to receive a transverse screw, e, by which the hinge is tightened or loosened at pleasure, to allow of the rm holding ot the rule when in an upright or other desired position, and to admit of its ordinary use. The arms AA' are each jointed or hin ged at the center, thetenons or tongues f of the hinges C C' being formed on their periphery with one or more traus verse notches, g, Fig. 3, and the outer shields h of the hinges C U' being each formed with a transverse notch, 5, to receive and allow the lateral passage of one end of a bar, D, which end is notched to allowr the turning or" the tongue of the hinge when the arm is shut or opened, and to form two projections, one of which is made to engage with and securely hold the tongue or tenon, as the bar'D is turned a little either to one side or the other. The other end of the bar D is screwed or otherwise attached so as to turn on the inner portion of the arm A, which is recessed on the face to receive it, the bar being curved on the sides at the notched end, and, when vturned out laterally', serving, with a bar, D', similarly constructed and arranged on the inner portion of the arm A', as calipers, Fig. 8. The arms A A' are each formed at the end with a longitudinal slot, j, to receive and allow the inand-out passage of a compass-point, k, pivoted near its inner end to a turning plate, l, rabbeted or otherwise formed at the ends to engage with and disengage from the ends of a recess, m, rabbeted or otherwise formed in the inner sides of the arms A A', to allow the turning out and reversal of the plates l, to extend or withdraw the points L, and to hold the points 7c in position, either when inclosed within the arms of theY rule, or when extended therefrom to serve as compasses, Fig. 4. The ends of the arms A A' are countersunk on their face at n, to receive the head of the screw e, and allow the close shutting of the rule; or the shield of the hinge B may be countersunk to receive the head of the screw. The corners of the pivoted ends of the bars D D' are rounded to allow of their turning.

The operation o't' my invention is as follows: When desired to use the rule as a try-square,

one arm, A', is extended at a right angle to the other arm, A, whose outer portion is turned back on its inner portion, so as to bring the stud or pin d in the apertures b b', thus securely holding the rule in the required position. When used as. a miter-square, or for marking oit' or measuring angles, the arm A is placed at the desired angle, and the pin or stud d is inserted through the aperture b' and one of the other apertures b or the bar D is moved one side, so that one of Vits projections shall engage with one of the notches g of the tenon of the hinge C or C', thus holding the outer portion of one of the arms A A at the desired angle, as shown in Fig. 6.

When desired to use the rule as a compass, or to raise it in a vertical position, the central hinge B is tightened by means of the screw e, and the' two portions of the arms A A are firmly held together by moving to one side the bars DD', so that one of their projecting ends engages in one of the notches g, formed in the tenons of the hinges C G. By further extending the bars D D to one side, as shown in Fig. S, they are brought in position to be used as calipers, Src.

To 'use the rule as compa-sses, the hinge and joints are tightened and held as above described, and the pivoted plates Z are turned on their fulcrums, and the points k shoved out, the plates l being turned around so as to reverse their ends, their rabbeted upper ends now engaging with the lower rabbeted ends of the recesses m, and thereby securely holding the compass-points 7c in their extended position. By reversing the operation of the plates l the points 7c are withdrawn and held Within their slots.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rule having its central hinge formed with an aperture, b', through its outer shield, and one or more apertures, b, formed through the tongue or tenon of the hinge, to receive and hold a pin or stud, d, projecting from one 0f the arms of the rule, substantiallyY as and for the purposes specified.

2. Bars or calipers D D', constructed and arranged as described, in combination with a rulehaving the hinges of Yits arms notched to receive and allow the lateral movement of the bars or calipers D D', substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. .A rule having a recess, m, rabbeted at each end to receive the rabbeted ends of a plate, l, pivoted to a compass-point, 7c, arranged to be held and shoved in and out of a longi-l tudinal slot formed in the end of each, of the arms of the rule, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofl Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CYRUS H. HARDY.

Vitnesses CARROLL D. WRIGHT, SAML. M. BARTON. 

